“We feel this is a great opportunity to play in another NBA arena, which is an environment similar to what you would experience in an NCAA tournament setting. Coach Dan Majerle has done a great job at Grand Canyon, as they are one of the power programs in the WAC. Personally, it will be a very special experience honoring a great man, and a friend, in Jerry Colangelo.” – Mark Few, Gonzaga University We are looking forward to playing in a high-level nationally-relevant game in a city where our program has some great memories. “Coach Barnes has done another phenomenal job of building Tennessee back to a national power like he has done at all his other previous schools. I appreciate the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for giving our program the opportunity to be a part of this inaugural event that salutes one of the most respected figures in the game in Jerry Colangelo.” – Rick Barnes, University of Tennessee Adding a game like this against an elite, well-coached program like Gonzaga is going to serve as a great early-season test for us. “We look to play a challenging, national schedule every year. Game times and television broadcast information will be released at a later date. PT via all Ticketmaster locations and the Talking Stick Resort Arena box office. Tickets for the Jerry Colangelo Classic will go on-sale to the general public on May 29 at 10:00 a.m. “Talking Stick Resort Arena, home of the Phoenix Suns, is a fantastic venue and we hope the fans will take the time to explore Phoenix and all the city has to offer.” “I’m very excited to be hosting a collegiate basketball event with the Basketball Hall of Fame in the beautiful city I call home,” said Jerry Colangelo, Chairman of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “The four teams participating in this year’s event, and their fans, are certainly in for a treat of great basketball and Arizona winter weather.” Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. We are very proud to host the inaugural Jerry Colangelo Classic at Talking Stick Resort Arena in downtown Phoenix in his honor,” said John L. “Jerry Colangelo, the remarkable Chairman of the Board for the Basketball Hall of Fame, has a storied history with the city of Phoenix. Gonzaga University and University of Nevada vs. The one-day doubleheader will feature the University of Tennessee vs. PHOENIX, AZ – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today the field of teams for the first-ever Jerry Colangelo Classic presented by Citi, a newly developed college basketball showcase held in conjunction with Talking Stick Resort Arena on Sunday, December 9, 2018. Read more of this subscription-only story from the Business Journal.Gonzaga, Tennessee, GCU and Nevada to Faceoff in Doubleheader on December 9 While the Suns are without an arena corporate sponsor for now, the team has made a deal with Verizon Communications to sponsor its brand new practice facility on 44th Street just north of Camelback Road in Phoenix’s Arcadia neighborhood. Prior to that, airlines America West and US Airways had their names on the building. Talking Stick Resort sponsored the arena since 2015. Talking Stick Resort said in an announcement that it began negotiations with the Suns in early 2020, prior to the pandemic, to renew the naming rights, but ultimately decided not to.įor now, the downtown arena will be called PHX Arena, which seems to be a placeholder until a new naming rights deal is finalized. The enterprise arm of the Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community decided not to renew its sponsorship of the downtown Phoenix arena after its five-year agreement ended this year. Talking Stick Resort will no longer have its name on the arena home to the Suns and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury. The Phoenix Suns have gained a corporate sponsor for its newly constructed practice facility, but lost the naming sponsor for its downtown arena.

Talking stick resort arena